


A Simple Question

by howelleheir



Series: Unfinished Works [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Conflict of Interests, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Propositions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:54:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22158166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howelleheir/pseuds/howelleheir
Summary: Bits and pieces, scraps, scenes, and other unfinished works. Many stop mid-sentence, most never develop a plot. These are all pieces that I started at one point or another and then moved on to another work, another ship, another fandom, or just got too busy to work on anything, so they will likely never be finished, but some of them were fun, and some were even good, so I'm putting them all out there with the disclaimer that they are abandoned WIPs, and unless a particular piece gets a lot of love and re-sparks my interest, I have no intention of coming back to them. Various fandoms and genres, some pieces very porny, some downright objectionable. Tread with care and mind the tags.In this work: Pierce asks Steve a question he'd rather not answer.
Relationships: Alexander Pierce/Steve Rogers
Series: Unfinished Works [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594933
Kudos: 2





	A Simple Question

“Are you a homosexual, Captain Rogers?”

The question catches Steve so off-guard he can’t do much other than stare at Pierce, slackjawed and wide-eyed. Thirty seconds ago, he had been handing over a file containing all of STRIKE’s mission reports for the quarter, and the Secretary had taken it with a cursory glance, set it aside, leaned back in his chair, and asked the question as casually as he might have asked if Steve liked the Redskins.

“You can answer honestly, Captain,” Pierce adds with a smirk. “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is over. I was just curious. It’ll stay in this room.”

Steve finally finds his voice, though it’s weak. “I- I am, sir.”

Why did he admit it? Why didn’t he just lie? He had managed to keep that secret under lock and key since 1934, but now, just like that, someone knows. He could kick himself.

As the initial shock wears off, the anger at himself turns to indignation, and he speaks up again, clearly this time. “You know, that’s not exactly a question you should be asking the people who work for you.”

Pierce leans forward, raising an eyebrow. “No? Why’s that?”

“It’s inappropriate. If you discriminate against--”

“Not at all my intention,” Pierce says. He gets up from his desk, pressing a switch on the side. All of the windows in the room slowly darken until they’re almost opaque. “I’m not asking as your boss, Rogers.”

Crossing to stand in front of Steve’s chair, Pierce grips the armrests and leans in until his face is inches from Steve’s.

He’s propositioning him. It should have been obvious, but Steve had missed it between the man’s inscrutable expression and the fact that this entire conversation had felt more like subtle interrogation than flirtation.

Steve knows he’s about to make a mistake. He knows that there are probably dozens of reasons why this is a terrible idea, and he should just leave, take whatever fallout comes of it, and avoid Pierce as much as he can. But he hasn’t been close with anyone since he came out of the ice, hasn’t so much as kissed another man since then. He reaches up to pull him in, to kiss him, but Pierce must read the hesitation in his face, because he grabs Steve’s wrist and holds him, forcefully, still.

“Don’t do anything you’re going to regret,” he says. “If you’re going to do this, it’s going to be because you want to. Any other reasons, and the door’s right there. You can walk away, no hard feelings. We don’t talk about it, no one finds out, and it never happens again. Understood?”


End file.
